The food industry has recently shifted towards more sustainable and health-conscious eating habits. Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their food choices and the health benefits of plant-based diets; however, the number of vegetarians or vegans has remained relatively constant [1]. A significant challenge for the food industry is to create more sustainable food choices. Over the last few years, a new category of products has risen that can bridge the gap between traditional meat consumption and plant-based alternatives: blended and
hybrid meat products [2].
Blended meat products provide an easier transition for meat lovers interested in reducing meat consumption and are hesitant to try plant-based alternatives. Because the taste and texture of the blended products stay close to those of traditional meats, the products can help overcome barriers to changing diets. They will make consumers eat less meat without noticing anything in taste and texture. Essential in developing these products is to use natural and not highly processed ingredients, as this is a disadvantage of many plant-based meat alternatives for many consumers. The rise of flexitarians and the need for plant-based options Many consumers are still reluctant to move away from eating meat completely. These consumers are known as flexitarians, a dietary approach that encourages reduced meat consumption without eliminating it. Many consumers want to decrease their meat intake for various reasons, including environmental concerns, health benefits, and ethical considerations. However, they do not want to entirely give up meat to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. [1]
Flexitarians are the main target group for plant-based meat alternatives. Vegetarians and vegans usually know their way around meat by using legumes and pulses. Yet, flexitarians are used to cooking with meat, so they use plant-based alternatives to reduce their intake of animal protein [3].
The main issues with these plant-based alternatives are the taste and texture. Plant proteins used in these products have an off-taste that must be masked by other ingredients, creating a long list of ingredients and making them highly processed. Besides the taste, a meat-like texture is important, and plant proteins are highly processed to obtain these structures, which requires a lot of energy and resources and mimicking the meat texture is difficult [4]. These drawbacks open a market for
blended meat so consumers can continue eating meat while reducing their ecological footprint. What are blended and hybrid meat products? Blended meat products typically combine conventional animal proteins with plant-based ingredients. For example, a popular format is a hamburger made with 70% beef and 30% plant-based fibers. Hybrid products, on the other hand, may incorporate more advanced food technologies. These can include combinations of plant-based proteins, cultivated meat, or ingredients derived from precision fermentation. The goal is to create products that closely mimic the sensory experience of conventional meat while offering improved sustainability and nutritional
profiles. However, the term blended and hybrid meat is used by most producers interchangeably for the combination of meat with a type of plant-based ingredients. [5]
Benefits of blended and hybrid meat products Environmental sustainability
There are many benefits to consuming blended meat products, with one of the main drivers being sustainability. In every product, the amount of meat can be reduced significantly, reducing animal protein consumption. Animal protein consumption is an important factor in different environmental challenges, such as greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and land requirements. By reducing the amount of animal protein in each serving, blended and hybrid products can significantly lower the environmental impact associated with meat production.
Nutritional advantages
Meat is known as a good source of nutrients; however, some types of meats are high in saturated fats and can have carcinogenic effects [6]. Blended products often offer improved nutritional profiles compared to their full-meat counterparts. The addition of plant-based ingredients can, for example, increase fiber content, reduce saturated fat, and provide a more diverse range of nutrients which are not naturally present in these products, depending on the plant-based ingredient used.
Cost-effectiveness
By adding plant-based ingredients to meat, it can lower the price of the final product. As meat prices are relatively high, blended products can offer consumers a lower-priced alternative. This can also help with consumer acceptability, as most consumers might not be very interested in trying blended meat [3]. By offering these products at a lower price than its 100% meat product, consumers might be more willing to try them. This is an important factor as price is still one of the main drivers for consumers when shopping. Thus, by lowering the price, the products become more interesting for different groups of consumers.
Innovations in Blended and Hybrid Meat Technology
Food science and technology have mainly driven the development of blended and hybrid meat products. One crucial part of creating successful blended products is the selection of high-quality plant-based ingredients that can be easily integrated with animal proteins. PrimeJack®: A Game-Changing Ingredient for Blended Meat Products
One such innovative ingredient is PrimeJack®, a plant-based fiber made from young jackfruit. This ingredient offers a good solution for manufacturers creating high-quality blended meat products. PrimeJack® has a high dietary fiber content of 57%, which has many different health benefits. Besides the health effect of the fibers, PrimeJack’s® fibrous texture is similar to that of pulled meat, such as pulled chicken or pork, making it an excellent choice for blended products like burgers, sausages, and meatballs.
Debunking the Fruit Myth
While jackfruit is botanically classified as a fruit, it's important to understand that young jackfruit does not have the typical characteristics you would expect in a tropical fruit. Fruit is mostly associated with a sweet or sour taste and a soft or crispy texture. Due to the early harvesting, jackfruit has a neutral flavour and a meat-like texture, making it fitting for various food applications, including blended meat products.
Neutral flavour and rehydration
Unlike some plant-based ingredients, which are known to have different off-tastes, young jackfruit has a neutral taste which can be easily adjusted by absorbing flavour and colour during the rehydration process. These flavours can come from other ingredients or compounds which are added to the water during rehydration. This property makes it perfect for blended meat products, as it allows the natural meat flavours to adsorb into the jackfruit while also creating the desired texture and nutritional benefits.
As mentioned before, the jackfruit is dried and can be rehydrated upon usage. This has different advantages. The jackfruit is dried locally as this makes it much more efficient to transport, as not all the water needs to be shipped. For use in blended meat products, the jackfruit needs to be rehydrated during the product manufacturing process. When properly processed and rehydrated, it can help maintain the juicy, meaty mouthfeel that consumers expect, even when reducing the overall meat content of a product.
Nutritional and sustainability benefits
Young jackfruit is low in calories and fat and high in fiber. When used in blended meat products, it improves the overall nutritional profile by increasing fiber content and reducing saturated fat content and calorie density. Additionally, it can give different health effects from the fibers such as improved gut health, better constipation and improved satiation after consumption helping with weight management.
Consumers are not only health conscious, but also more aware of the environmental impact of meat. Therefore, making innovative products with a lower ecological footprint is desired. Jackfruit trees are known for their high yield and relatively low environmental impact. By incorporating young jackfruit into blended meat products by using PrimeJack®, manufacturers can significantly reduce the impact of their products without compromising on taste or texture.
The Market Landscape for Blended and Hybrid Products
The future looks promising for blended and hybrid meat products. As consumers continue to seek more sustainable and healthier food options. With ongoing research in food technology and ingredients like PrimeJack®, we can expect to see an even wider range of delicious, nutritious, and sustainable blended and hybrid meat products in the coming years.
Blended and hybrid meat products represent an exciting frontier in the food industry, bridging traditional meat consumption and plant-based alternatives. By using ingredients like PrimeJack®, manufacturers can create products that satisfy consumer demands for taste, texture, and sustainability. As we move towards a more sustainable food system, these products have the potential to play a significant role in reducing our environmental impact while still allowing consumers to enjoy the meaty flavours they love.
Sources:
[1] S. Grasso and G. Goksen, (2023) “The best of both worlds? Challenges and opportunities in the development of hybrid meat products from the last 3 years,” LWT.
[2] S. L. Chandler and M. B. McSweeney, (2022) “Characterizing the properties of hybrid meat burgers made with pulses and chicken,” International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science.
[3] S. Grasso and S. Jaworska, (2020) “Part Meat and Part Plant: Are Hybrid Meat Products Fad or Future?,” Foods.
[4] F. K. G. Schreuders, et al. (2021) “Texture methods for evaluating meat and meat analogue structures: A review,” Food Control.
[5] “Hybrid products to optimize nutrition, taste, cost, and sustainability” - The Good Food Institute.
[6] S. De Smet and T. Van Hecke, (2024) “Meat products in human nutrition and health – About hazards and risks,” Meat Science.
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